Movies like Dai Vernon: The Spirit of Magic (2017)
The best movies like Dai Vernon: The Spirit of Magic (2017) are The Curse of the Dragon (1993), Come See Me in the Good Light (2025) and My Mom Jayne (2025). If Dai Vernon: The Spirit of Magic hooked you with its documentary, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedPamela, a love story (2023)7.0/10 from 261 votes
- NewestA Toxic Love Story (2026)Released 2026
The Curse of the Dragon (1993)
A 1993 documentary film about Bruce Lee. The film includes interviews from some of his fellow students and opponents who worked alongside him in his movies.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisCome See Me in the Good Light (2025)
In an intimate and joyful story of love in the face of loss, celebrated poets Andrea Gibson and Megan Falley find strength—and unexpected hilarity—in what might be their final year together.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisMy Mom Jayne (2025)
Through deeply personal interviews with her siblings and an examination of the photographs, letters, and belongings left behind, Mariska assembles a new portrait of her mother Jayne Mansfield, an extraordinary and complex woman.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisOrgasm Inc: The Story of OneTaste (2022)
A sexual wellness company gains fame and followers, then members come forward with shocking allegations.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisGilbert (2017)
The life and career of one of comedy's most inimitable modern voices, Mr. Gilbert Gottfried.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisI Am Chris Farley (2015)
I am Chris Farley tells his hilarious, touching and wildly entertaining story - from his early days in Madison, Wisconsin, to his time at Second City and Saturday Night Live, then finally his film career (which included hits like Tommy Boy and Black Sheep). The film showcases his most memorable characters and skits from film and television and also includes interviews and insights from his co-stars, family and friends - including the likes of Christina Applegate, Dan Aykroyd, Mike Myers, Bob Odenkirk, Bob Saget and Adam Sandler.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisEvil Influencer: The Jodi Hildebrandt Story (2025)
Unravel the case of Utah therapist Jodi Hildebrandt, whose child abuse arrest with parenting YouTuber Ruby Franke exposed a twisted tale of manipulation.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPamela, a love story (2023)
In her own words, through personal video and diaries, Pamela Anderson shares the story of her rise to fame, rocky romances and infamous sex tape scandal.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisA Toxic Love Story (2026)
A string of threatening emails escalates into a revenge plot involving a newly married US marshal and his ex-girlfriend.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisStruggle: The Life and Lost Art of Szukalski (2018)
Artists in LA discover the work of forgotten Polish sculptor Stanislav Szukalski, a mad genius whose true story unfolds chapter by astounding chapter.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Battered Bastards of Baseball (2014)
Hollywood veteran Bing Russell creates the only independent baseball team in the country—alarming the baseball establishment and sparking the meteoric rise of the 1970s Portland Mavericks.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBukowski: Born Into This (2003)
Director John Dullaghan’s biographical documentary about infamous poet Charles Bukowski, Bukowski: Born Into This, is as much a touching portrait of the author as it is an exposé of his sordid lifestyle. Interspersed between ample vintage footage of Bukowski’s poetry readings are interviews with the poet’s fans including such legendary figures such as Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Joyce Fante (wife of John), Bono, and Harry Dean Stanton. Filmed in grainy black and white by Bukowski’s friend, Taylor Hackford, due to lack of funding, the old films edited into this movie paint Bukowski’s life of boozing and brawling romantically, securing Bukowski’s legendary status.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAnna Nicole Smith: You Don't Know Me (2023)
From the heights of her modeling fame to her tragic death, this documentary reveals Anna Nicole Smith through the eyes of the people closest to her.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisTrainwreck: The Real Project X (2025)
A night of drunken chaos rocks a quiet Dutch town in this shocking documentary about a teen's birthday invite that accidentally went viral on Facebook.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
SnoozefestMovies like thisLucy and Desi (2022)
Explore the unlikely partnership and enduring legacy of one of the most prolific power couples in entertainment history. Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz risked everything to be together.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Kid Stays in the Picture (2002)
Documentary about legendary Paramount producer Robert Evans, based on his famous 1994 autobiography.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMurder to Mercy: The Cyntoia Brown Story (2020)
After 16-year-old Cyntoia Brown is sentenced to life in prison, questions about her past, physiology and the law itself call her guilt into question.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBeing Eddie (2025)
From teen comedian to Hollywood legend, Eddie Murphy revisits his extraordinary showbiz ride with raw honesty and humor.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisX-Rated 2: The Greatest Adult Stars of All Time (2016)
Documentary sequel that offers a close-up look into the personal lives of the legendary porn stars who've survived the test of time and influenced popular culture. Blends rare interviews with erotic clips and additional appearances by Whoopi Goldberg, Steven Soderbergh and a host of adult stars, directors and trendsetters.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMaking The Witcher (2020)
Journey into the extraordinary world of "The Witcher" — from casting the roles to Jaskier's catchy song — in this behind-the-scenes look at the series.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisFinding Harry: The Craft Behind the Magic (2026)
Featuring interviews from members of the casting, production design, costume design, and creature effects teams, follow the behind-the-scenes journey of bringing the Harry Potter books to the small screen. Find out how the new Golden Trio were found, and celebrate the commitment to detail of the artists, craftspeople, and technicians who have come together to bring the wizarding world to life.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisEntheogen: Awakening the Divine Within (2006)
A feature length documentary which invites the viewer to rediscover an enchanted cosmos in the modern world by awakening to the divine within. The film examines the re-emergence of archaic techniques of ecstasy in the modern world by weaving a synthesis of ecological and evolutionary awareness,electronic dance culture, and the current pharmacological re-evaluation of entheogenic compounds.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Ricky Jay and His 52 Assistants (1996)
Sleight of hand magician Ricky Jay blends light comedy and close-up magic to entertain a live audience. He discusses everything from the birth of the classic cup and balls trick to 14th century poetry.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Escape Artist (2026)
Director Robert Kolodny draws parallels between the Harry Houdini's conjuring power of sleight of hand and the creative process of hand crafting works of film. Commissioned for the 2026 True/False Film Festival.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Dani Lary : Le magicien de l'impossible ! (2006)
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Jack Parsons: Jet Propelled Antichrist (2006)
Jack Parsons: Jet Propelled Antichrist is a story about one of the fathers of modern rocketry and a founder of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) which as part of NASA still leads the way in the development of rockets and the exploration of space. He was also an occultist, a sorcerer and a magus. The infamous magician Aleister Crowley the self-proclaimed Great Beast called him son. He called himself ‘The Antichrist’ and was repeatedly investigated by the FBI. At the age of 38 Parsons died in a mysterious explosion that made headlines around the US. Officially it was a tragic scientific accident — other interpretations of the event persist to this day.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Jeff McBride: A Magickal Life (2006)
Jeff McBride is a magician, a master of the arts of deception, and a follower of a spiritual path based on a form of magic. As a teenager, he was already appearing on national TV and has since become world renowned among lovers of magic and illusion. He is equally adept at gracing a stage in Las Vegas or Paris, performing a card trick under your nose, and teaching a master class to already accomplished conjurers. He says that real magic is a path to sacred reality.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Harry Potter: A History Of Magic (2017)
A thrilling journey through legends, belief and folklore, this film goes behind the scenes with the British Library as they search to tell that story through objects in their collection, in an ambitious new exhibition: Harry Potter: A History Of Magic. J.K. Rowling, who is lending unseen manuscripts, drawings and drafts from her private archives (which will sit alongside treasures from the British Library, as well as original drafts and drawings from Jim Kay) talks about some of the personal items she has lent to the exhibition and gives new insight into her writing, looking at some of the objects from the exhibition that have fired her imagination.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisGoing to Hell (2019)
A documentary film exposing the truth about psychics and fortune-tellers. All the ins and outs of magical TV shows and services of the most famous psychics with evidence, names and prices.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Derren Brown: Trick of the Mind (2004)
Derren Brown is a unique force in the world of illusion - he can seemingly predict and control human behaviour. He doesn't claim to be a mind-reader, instead he describes his craft as a mixture of magic, suggestion, psychology, misdirection and showmanship. Whatever you choose to call it, his unparalleled performances amaze and unsettle all those who watch him. This is a powerful and provocative form of entertainment, unlikely to be imitated for a long while.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Like Dai Vernon: The Spirit of Magic and something else?
Blend two favourites and we’ll find the films in between.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Dai Vernon: The Spirit of Magic?
The closest matches to Dai Vernon: The Spirit of Magic are The Curse of the Dragon (1993), Come See Me in the Good Light (2025) and My Mom Jayne (2025). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Dai Vernon: The Spirit of Magic?
Start with The Curse of the Dragon (1993), the closest match to Dai Vernon: The Spirit of Magic.
What is the highest-rated movie like Dai Vernon: The Spirit of Magic?
Pamela, a love story (2023), rated 7.0/10 by 261 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Dai Vernon: The Spirit of Magic?
A Toxic Love Story (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like Dai Vernon: The Spirit of Magic?
Yes: The Curse of the Dragon (1993), Come See Me in the Good Light (2025) and My Mom Jayne (2025).
How are movies similar to Dai Vernon: The Spirit of Magic chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Dai Vernon: The Spirit of Magic, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.